Despite their recent struggles, no one could accuse them of being down in the dumps.

But a few hours later, the clubhouse was eerily silent after the Cubs suffered another offensive meltdown in a 6-0 loss to Arizona at Chase Field, falling five games behind division-leading Cincinnati.

Rookie left-hander Rich Hill lasted only four innings, and the Cubs were shut out for the third time in their last five games, dropping to 14-13 with their fifth loss in six games.

It's not just that the Cubs are losing that stings, it's how they're losing. They've been outscored 45-5 in their last six games against Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Arizona, none of which has been mistaken as a National League powerhouse. Their only run in the two-game series came on a bases-loaded walk to Greg Maddux on Wednesday night.

"We're getting hits but not when it counts," manager Dusty Baker said. "I can't remember the last time we hit a home run. We were trying to manufacture some stuff, running, trying to hit-and-run. We're just not getting good at-bats with runners in scoring position. We're in a bad way right now. We can't buy a run."

Cubs castoff Juan Cruz earned his first win for the Diamondbacks, shutting out his former team on four hits over five innings.

Hill gave up home runs to Chad Tracy and Damion Easley, allowing five runs on six hits in his first start since being called up from Triple-A Iowa to take Glendon Rusch's spot in the rotation.

"He looked good in the first inning, but the next few innings he left some balls up, and they hit him," Baker said. "They whacked him pretty good."

Juan Pierre had three hits but was picked off second to end the first inning and was called out on strikes in the fifth with runners on the corners and one out with the Cubs trailing 5-0. Pierre blamed himself for the inept offense.

"As a leadoff hitter, you can set the tone in a good way or a bad way," he said. "I think I set it in a bad way today. The way we've been scuffling, in the first inning getting picked off at second, it was like, 'Here we go again.'

"As a leadoff hitter, that's inexcusable, and I think that set the tone for the rest of the game."

Baker moved Aramis Ramirez into the No. 3 hole, switching lineup spots with Todd Walker. He also inserted Freddie Bynum at second base. Nothing worked.

"Just got to keep on shaking, I guess," Baker said. "Got to keep on shaking it until it shakes in the right way."

With Ramirez in the cleanup spot in 24 of their first 26 games, the Cubs' .217 batting average from the No. 4 hole was the lowest in the league.

"All I can do is just hit the ball hard and put it in play, and that's what I've been doing," said Ramirez, who went 1-for-4. "I don't strike out much. I just put the ball in play. I just haven't had good luck yet."

The Cubs flew to San Diego for a four-game series against the Padres, looking like a team with no direction home.

In his first budget address to lawmakers, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf laid out an ambitious $33.8 billion spending plan that raises taxes a combined 16 percent while slashing corporate and property taxes, restores cuts to education and wipes out the state's deficit.